Legacy: Volume I

The Ministry of Fire: Part 1

By Andrew Joseph Michael

Prologue:

“Wherever there is light, there will always be darkness.”

Many thousands of years ago, long before the legends of the great Wave Crasher, Zin Alastar, or the tales of the famous Spell Singer, Sharice Kaves, the universe was a very dark place indeed. Chaos reigned supreme as dozens of alien factions sought to establish their dominance.

Amidst this chaos came the unremarkable human race that had traveled from a distant galaxy seeking a new home. Having used up most of the natural resources available on their homeworld, the humans left their galaxy to explore the great unknown in search of a world capable of supporting life. What the early humans could never have imagined was that not only would they find other inhabitable planets in distant star systems, but that they were not alone in the universe.

Aliens, the humans had called them at first; though there was something unmistakably familiar about these creatures, despite the fact that they were most definitely not human. The nonhumans that mankind realized populated most of the universe were very reminiscent of Earth’s ancient legends and myths of old.

Elves from Earth’s fairytales, Werewolves from the horror stories, even Dragons - which had been depicted in some fashion from almost every major culture in human history. Human scientists reasoned that the people only saw the aliens in a spectrum fashioned by their primitive Earth legends, but they soon learned that it went deeper than that. It seemed that extra-terrestrial life had visited Earth before, inspiring much of the mythos and grandeur of early civilizations. However, whereas the aliens had only come to visit out of curiosity, they could see that humankind had come to colonize, and they were much displeased. Salvation for the humans soon turned to doom as they found themselves beset on all sides by powerful alien rivals with not only devastating technology at their disposal, but even more dangerous supernatural powers that none of humanity’s scientists could explain.

To the ancient and uninhabited world of Tarrus did the humans travel. However, unbeknownst to them, this particular planet was considered sacred to many nonhuman races, and therefore was deemed too holy for mere mortals to dwell. Luckily, the aliens ceased their attack of the human convoy after they landed on the planet, the divinity of the world unknown to its homo sapien interlopers. But the threat the nonhumans presented still loomed, and the human race could feel malevolent eyes watching them from the stars, waiting for a chance to strike.

Just as the situation seemed it could not become more dire, an even greater darkness befell humanity. A massive and unstoppable monstrosity appeared in the form of a great Elemental Dragon. So terrible was this beast that not even the formidable aliens dared to oppose it. From the depths of Tarrus’ core did it emerge, and with unyielding resolve to destroy, it set its sights on the dwindling human race. Humanity, once a proud and prosperous people, now stood on the brink of extinction. No weapon forged was a match for this awesome juggernaut. No science could comprehend it.

All seemed lost … that is until a lone man with a single desire to protect his pregnant wife bravely stood alone against the demonic beast. Despite all warnings to the contrary, despite all his friends telling him that he would die a senseless death, the man gazed into the terrible eyes of the Great Dragon without any technology, without any powers, and without any fear.

Miraculously, the Dragon vanished after its meeting with the human, who returned to his people more than a man. They say that for his courage, the Dragon decided to spare humanity and bless the man as well as all those who followed him or were descended from him. That man’s name was Maranu Toramir, and from his bloodline sprang countless heroes with almost godlike abilities. These heroes went on to forge peace between humanity and their alien neighbors. Seeing the encounter with the Great Dragon as a predestined event, the aliens allowed sanctuary for the human race on the planet of Tarrus.

From the first settlers of Tarrus would later come the Tarrus Empire, and soon after, the Elemental Ministries, whose members inherited their supernatural abilities known as Elemency from the man who faced the Dragon. These men and women became known as Elementals, the liaisons between humanity and the alien races. It is the ancient calling of the Elementals to lay down their lives for the good of the people. This is their legacy.

My name is Zanderius Alastar, and these are my last recollections of what would soon become the great war that has reshaped the very fabric of reality itself… a war that came to be known as the Final Reckoning. My prayer is that there will be someone left alive to read this when the war is over…but that is not up to me to decide.

Chapter 1: The Swan Ship

This has all happened before, and it will all happen again. Before I tell you any of this, there is something that you must understand. People are born, they grow up, they laugh, they cry, they live, and then they die. It may seem sad, it may seem cruel, but it’s just the way things are.

We can’t change any of it any more than we can change the stars, but there are things in our lives that we can change. And I think that is the real reason that I’m telling you this story. This has happened before, and it will happen again. Now that I have your attention, let’s begin.

Five standard years ago. Shak: fifth planet of the Shakarass star system, colony world of the Elven race, outskirts of Tarrus Imperial territory. Toramirese: isolated settlement in the forest region of the planet. Though mostly populated by Elves, many off-worlders dwell in peace alongside the Elven locals here.

“Bring that back, you blasphemous little spawn,” crooned Alexander, one of the Elven elders of Toramirese colony.

Nine-year-old Ryan Uruks laughed mischievously and kept running as fast as his legs could carry him as he munched on the apple that he’d pinched from old Alexander’s tree. The Elves had a divine respect for all plants, even the ones they ate, so to say that the Elf was a little miffed would’ve been an understatement.

However, Ryan’s revelry came to an end as he ran into his father seconds later. After a good hide-tanning, Ryan was forced to return the apple and apologize.

“I apologize for my son, Mr. Alexander,” said Ryan’s father, bowing his head and putting a finger to his forehead, the Elven sign of respect. “He’s a brick-head like me, so he comes up with stupid ideas to release all his pent-up energy.”

Old Alexander was not a full-blooded Elf, but a descendant from a partial human line, thus, his human name. Although his family practiced the traditions of the Elven race, they still possessed a somewhat aggressive disposition from their human ancestry. The Elven/human descendant had the mismatched features of a balding head with a pristine, wrinkle-free face that all Elves possessed. Tufts of hair poked out from his long, pointed ears, and he wore a green tunic and trousers with brown autumn leaves sewn into the fabric. Alexander still scowled down at Ryan through his spectacles, but his eyes soon softened, and he said, “As long as he learns to respect the laws of nature, in time, even he could amount to something someday.”

“Respect the laws of nature,” mimicked Ryan under his breath.

Being an elderly Elf, Alexander couldn’t hear Ryan, but Richard sure could. Ryan contained a squeal of discomfort as his father stepped on his toe.

“I’m sure he will,” said Richard cheerfully while crushing his son’s toe.

As Alexander walked away, Richard turned to his son with a gentle smile and patted him on the head soothingly. Ryan made a pouting face as his father leaned down and stared right at him. Truthfully, Ryan didn’t mind the spanking that much, he just felt happy that his dad took notice of him.

“Not one tear,” said Richard, shaking his head. “Nine years old, and already a tough guy.”

“Please,” said Ryan decisively. “Like I’d cry over something like this. Only girls cry from a spanking.”

Richard chuckled. “Well, your mother might have something to say about that, but I have to ask you something first. You know why I had to spank you, right?”

Ryan shrugged. “Because I was being a pain, and I knew it.”

“That’s about the gist of it,” said Richard, nodding, regarding Ryan with a loving smile. “But you know that I still love you, right? Just because I tan your hide, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It just means that I want you to grow up right.”

“I know, dad,” said Ryan as he leaned in and gave his father a hug.

Richard held his son for a few tender moments, exhaling contently. Then, picking Ryan up and holding him by his shoulders out in front of him, he said, “If you finish your homework for once, maybe we can do something fun tonight.”

“Dad, I’m homeschooled! All my schoolwork is homework. Mom wouldn’t let me see the light of day if she could help it!”

Richard snapped his fingers, ignoring Ryan’s complaints. “I know! Why don’t we go hunting in Pinnfar Woods tonight? We can catch something good for supper.”

“That’s okay,” said Ryan, giggling as he tried to kick out of his father’s grip. “I can go by myself. You’d just scare the game off.”

“Oh, really,” said Richard, grinning as he wrestled Ryan to the ground.

They had many wrestling matches like this, and Ryan could never beat his father, though that never stopped him from trying. As Ryan rolled around in the dirt with his much larger father, he tried to put his old man in a headlock, but Richard wiggled out his son’s grip and spun him around in a flash. Ryan ended up on his back with his father sitting on his chest.

“I swear I’ll beat you one of these days, old man!”

“Maybe one day, runt, when I’m dead,” said Richard cheerfully as he flicked Ryan on his nose. Richard then brought Ryan to his feet with a strong pull, hoisting him into a piggyback ride. “We better get going for lunch. Mom will have a hernia if we’re late.”

“Dad,” said Ryan, flushing. “I’m getting too old for piggyback rides.”

“But I’m not,” replied Richard as he set off into a run.

Ryan’s father was taller and more muscular than any other human alive; this only frustrated Ryan with him being so short. His father was not completely human, but half Saurian, which made Ryan part Saurian as well. Saurians were sometimes known as Wingless Dragons on account that they had no wings. Some even called them Earth Dragons as they were much more heavily built than their winged cousins. Despite being part alien, Ryan’s father was still hauntingly handsome in a strange, otherworldly way that most humans found intimidating. He had an angular jaw and glistening white teeth that somewhat resembled fangs.

Bright golden scales covered Richard’s whole body, sparkling in the sunlight. He had raven-colored hair and blood-red eyes which Ryan had inherited. When Ryan looked into his father’s fierce eyes, a deep feeling of security and contentment washed over him. Richard wore brown trousers, black leather boots, and a simple white t-shirt for work, showing off his massive golden biceps. His father’s claws were usually retracted so that he could appear normal, but when he got angry they would grow to reveal their lethal potential.

Ryan had started to get scales as well, but they weren’t nearly as prominent as his father’s. For the most part, Ryan appeared human, which made Richard happy because he would always tell Ryan how people could sometimes be cruel to those who were different. Ryan still couldn’t understand why people sometimes treated others differently based on what they looked like, but he certainly knew that it must be true because his dad had said it.

Though most of the residents of Toramirese Colony treated him and his family kindly, some paid him no heed, and even other humans gave him a wide berth from time to time. But Ryan didn’t mind too much, because he still had friends he could play with, especially Henry. The two rogues went on the most astounding made-up adventures together, from saving the Emperor’s daughter, to slaying the Dark Dragon Lords themselves. Though their adventures were just pretend, they got pretty elaborate sometimes, and Henry would always get super into his role. The guy should think about being an actor.

Back in the present, Ryan still rode on his father’s shoulders. Richard ran faster than any man could ever hope to match, so a piggyback ride from him felt like riding a horse as Ryan soared through the colony. Despite technically still being in pouting mode, Ryan couldn’t help but admire the beauty around him as his father carried him effortlessly across the fields. He never did fit in much with the other children, but at least he felt right at home on the beautiful forest world of Shak. It all just seemed right to him somehow, from the mountain-tall trees to the beautiful meadows that he saw on the few places where trees weren’t in abundance. The most fabulous part of living in Toramirese Colony had to be the views. All around Ryan, thick vegetation covered the landscape, as well as exotic plants of every shape, size, and color of the rainbow.

Toramirese Colony was an isolated settlement surrounded by gargantuan trees on all sides. Ryan had even heard his parents tell him that the colony couldn’t even be seen from the sky because the enormous trees covered the colony like a giant umbrella. Despite that, the colony still got plenty of sunshine as the Elves had erected mirrors into the trees to refract the sun’s rays into the village, allowing them to grow their crops.

As Ryan rode on his father’s shoulders, he could see evidence of the Elves’ Caesar Salad lifestyle, from the vast gardens of squash, apples, and other fruits and vegetables of various shapes and sizes. Some crops grew in great spirals, with purple and blue vines. Elves were vegetarians, and dad told Ryan that the word ‘vegetarian’ meant that they only ate plants.

I can’t understand why they’d do that to themselves, thought Ryan idly to himself. Not eating meat sounds like torture! Plus, how can they worship plants and eat them at the same time? It doesn’t make sense!

Ryan didn’t know why Elves loved veggies so much since plants were so nasty and meat was just about the best invention since holovids. Ryan’s father once worked as an archeologist, collecting all these old recordings of television shows and movies from Ancient Earth. They’d watch a new show every night before bed on the holovid, though Ryan’s mom wouldn’t let him see the scary ones.

As for what happened with Alexander, that was pretty typical for Ryan’s days. Being part of one of the few human families living in the colony, but more importantly, being the son of a half-breed, Ryan didn’t really mesh well with many people in the village. His only real companions were his parents and Henry, but his father usually worked late hours in the fields to provide for the family. Although, Richard thankfully made time to come back for lunch.

Ryan’s mother tutored him from home, but he still got plenty of playtime in the afternoon. To entertain himself and to provide the people of Toramirese colony with some much-needed entertainment, Ryan and his sidekick, Henry, had amassed quite the reputation as pranksters. Their repertoire of pranks included delightful gimmicks such as setting loose a swarm of butterbarts during a picnic, to climbing the statue of the colony’s founder and giving him a painted mustache. They never did anything really harmful, just a few ‘diversions’, as Ryan liked to call them, to keep the people’s minds off their troubles.

To the younger Elven children, who had never even heard of mischief-making until Ryan came along, they were legends. However, even if he did perform a few pranks, Ryan didn’t know why everyone made such a huge deal of it. Most of the time, he really wasn’t doing anything wrong, but a lot of people gave him a disapproving scowl. Even the other human residents looked at him disapprovingly, or especially them in some cases.

Honestly, it seemed like everyone had a radar attached to their heads that went off every time Ryan so much as picked his nose. Which never happens without very good reason, declares Ryan to himself. Oh, well! Things aren’t all that bad. I have mom and dad. They are enough. Oh, and Henry too!

Richard reduced his speed, and deftly lowered Ryan to the ground. Together, they slowly ascended the tree house which served as their home for a much-anticipated dinner from Ryan’s mother. As Ryan began the familiar climb up the spiral ramp that served as a staircase to his house that waited in the branches, he looked up to the distant landing platform that towered high above the colony and wondered if he would ever get the chance to explore the universe like his father had.

As soon as Ryan walked through the door to his home, a sweet smell overwhelmed his senses, a sensation that could only be described as his mom’s famous grim jelly pies. Now, normally anything with the word ‘grim’ in it could only be construed as something horrible, but that wasn’t the case with mom’s special grim jelly pies, made from grim berries that only grew deep inside Pinnfar Woods. Ryan knew that because he had been on frequent trips to the woods with his mother to help gather the elusive fruit.

His father also took him on trips through the woods so that they could catch the animals that provided meat, or so his father had told him. Ryan never knew exactly how the animals they caught were turned into meat, and when he asked, his dad would look at him with that grown-up look of his and say, “I’ll tell you when you’re older, son.”

It was like his dad kept this deep, dark secret about the origins of meat, and it drove Ryan bananas just trying to figure out what that secret might be. After his father’s usual dodge of the question concerning meat, he would go into his shed, or his man-cave as he liked to call it, and wouldn’t come out for hours. When he did, he’d have buckets of fresh meat ready to be cooked and eaten. By the time he finally came out, Ryan’s curiosity would dissolve into ravenous hunger, and he’d forget to ask where meat came from.

But even meat couldn’t compare to the all-consuming aroma of his mother’s grim jelly pie. Mom’s pies were so good that she even managed to sell some to the Elves, who hoarded the pies greedily, sometimes getting into fights while in line. Grim jelly pies were considered a delicacy, but the Elves rarely had any because they were afraid to go too deep into the woods. Ryan often wondered why they were afraid to go into the woods when they lived on a tree-covered planet.

Joining them for dinner was the young half-Elf named Henry, Ryan’s notorious partner in crime, and one of the few Elves in the village that his family actually liked.

A bit of history is needed to understand Ryan’s relationship with Henry. Elves lived a very simplistic lifestyle. Despite the fact that they joined the Tarrus Empire, which is predominately human, the Elves were mostly left to tend to themselves, which suited them just fine. More than any other race, Elves were attuned with nature and the forces of the universe, which is one of the reasons that they were considered trusted confidants of the Elementals. Regular Elf men tended to be a little shorter than human males; not as short as Dwarves, but still a few inches shorter than the average-sized man. However, the High Elves tended to be taller than humans with longer ears as well. Ryan had only seen a handful of High Elves visiting the colony. Being Elves, they all had cool, pointy ears that Ryan found extremely fascinating, to his great misfortune one afternoon.

There are very few things in the universe that can anger an Elf to violence, and messing with an Elf’s pointy ears - which Ryan found out later was a testament to their manhood - is one of those things. Even more unfortunate is the fact that all Elves practice a special martial art to keep their bodies toned. That was how Ryan met Henry Junice.

Henry, part-human on his mother’s side, was quite belligerent for an Elf child. Henry had blond hair, blue eyes, and tanned, copper skin - an unusual shade for most Elves. Being a tad shorter than many of his peers, who are already short to begin with, didn’t help his temper on the day of their meeting. Ryan thought it would be funny to stick cotton balls on the tips of Henry’s pointy ears while he slept on a bench, and then he called him ‘poodle boy’ after he woke up. The fight was on immediately. Fortunately, the contestants being relatively short in stature and weak in muscle were unable to inflict much damage on each other before their match was interrupted by the most powerful force known to children kind, human and alien alike; a.k.a. the mom.

So while Brianna apologized to Henry’s mom, who in turn apologized for Henry, Ryan looked at ‘poodle boy’ with newfound respect. Any other Elf child would’ve ignored Ryan, which really hurt Ryan’s feelings. But this child hadn’t ignored him. Even though they had met in a fight, a fight that Ryan insisted he won, he felt a special kinship to this child who was a part-breed like him.

So, young Ryan with a bloody nose looked over at the elf child with the black eye and said, “I like you. Wanna be friends?”

The boy stared at Ryan in astonishment. “I … I …”

He seemed a little tongue-tied, so Ryan decided to ease the tension as he held out his hand. “I’m Ryan, by the way; Ryan Uruks, the greatest hero ever born. What’s your name?”

The boy couldn’t help but laugh at such a brash declaration as he shook Ryan’s hand. “My name is Henry Junice. And I would be delighted to be your friend, human child.”

Ryan frowned at that remark. “I’m not a human, I’m a Dragon!” he declared with indignation. “I only look human because of my mom, but on my dad’s side, I’m a Wingless Dragon. Just you wait, one day I’ll get these amazing powers, and then the Elementals will make me their leader.”

At this, Henry’s jaw dropped, which made Ryan laugh. Boys, even boys who fight, can form a bond quicker than most people can understand. As far as Ryan and Henry were concerned, the fight was over and nothing stood in the way of their lifelong friendship. From that day on, they became blood brothers in more ways than one. They did just about everything together, from exploring Pinnfar Woods, to daring each other to eat insects. Luckily, Richard was there to show them which bugs wouldn’t kill them, which made Ryan wonder if his dad had done this before.

Back in the present, as the four diners sat down to lunch at the round, wooden table in the center of their tree house, Richard Uruks once again started the day off with story time. Ryan didn’t know what was more fun, watching holodramas or listening to his dad tell the most outlandish stories.

“So there I was surrounded by the most bloodthirsty horde of Morlocks that ever crawled out of hell.”

“Richard,” interjected Brianna sternly with a look that could freeze the hearts of men.

“I mean the bad place,” corrected Richard nervously. “The thing you have to know about Morlocks, son, is that they are the even more barbaric cousins of the Goblins, and that makes them one of the most dangerous races in the universe.”

“What’d you do, dad?! What you’d do?!” asked Ryan while hopping up and down in his seat. He could tell that they were getting to the good part.

“Me, I didn’t do anything,” replied Richard.

Ryan gasped. “Does that mean you died?”

“Oh yeah, you bet I died,” said Richard calmly.

Wait, something’s not adding up, thought Ryan to himself.

“Or at least I would have if it wasn’t for the Dragon who saved me,” said Richard.

Ryan gasped again. “You mean a full-blooded Space Dragon.”

“Yep. It’s said that the Dragons were among the first creatures to discover Elemency. The first race to explore the universe and chart the stars, so it shouldn’t be surprising to know that they’re pretty handy in a fight.”

“Is it true that they are born with the ability to breathe fire and use fire Elemency, just like real Elementals from the Ministry of Fire?”

“It’s true, son,” acknowledged Richard, almost hesitantly. “In the past, Elementals had to use chants and rituals before being able to use strong Elemency. But the Dragons are more powerful than humans and can do it naturally.”

“And they’re our cousins, aren’t they, dad,” said Ryan, getting excited. “Because you’re half Wingless Dragon, and that makes me part Dragon too.”

Richard ruffled Ryan’s hair lovingly. “That’s right, son. And although most people would think less of you for your family heritage, you decide who and what you are, not anybody else. Not me, not your mother, and certainly not any snobby, racist bigot who can’t see the man you really are. Why, I bet people like that can’t even see past the end of their own noses.”

“They must have pretty big noses then,” replied Ryan.

Both Richard and Brianna laughed merrily. When the laughter stopped, Richard stared down at Ryan with a look that might’ve been sadness. “Son, because of the way you look … because you are different from most human children, many people will use that as an excuse to look down on you. But I want you to always remember to never be ashamed of who you are or where you come from.”

Ryan smiled with the innocence of a child. “I won’t, dad.”

I could never be ashamed of being your son.

Between eating meat, eating pie, and listening to his dad’s stories, Ryan wondered what more there could be to life. Then, as if from some sixth sense, Ryan suddenly felt the urge to look up at the landing platform again from the kitchen window, and that’s when he saw it. An alien vessel had just made landfall.

The design and construction of the craft differed greatly from that of Elven ships. A small frigate, probably no more than twenty crew members, in a smooth, elegant design that made it look a lot like a graceful bird. As if to add to its bird-like appearance, small pieces of metal jutted out from the hull that resembled feathers. It was completely white and covered in intricate, green glowing designs and elegant symbols that seemed to mean something significant. The runes made curving, circling lines all over the hull, which only added to the vessel’s mysterious aura. Very few vessels landed in the secluded village, and none as beautiful as this one.

It’s gotta be someone pretty darn important. But if it is, why would they want to come to a place like this?

Ryan had never been to any other world, never seen any other place except Toramirese Colony and the vast Pinnfar Forest that surrounded it, but just looking at this strange alien vessel stirred feelings of adventure and mysticism within him. How great it’d be to explore the vast universe, to see the stars that inspired such grand stories that his father beguiled him with every night. It must be the best thing in the universe to explore alien worlds and meet people and races that no one has ever known before. As Ryan gazed at the beautiful and mysterious vessel coming in for a landing, he knew in his heart of hearts that he had to find out who was on that ship and why they had come.

“Say, dad,” said Ryan as he held a piece of pie to his mouth, unsure if talking or eating was more important. “Do you know anything about that ship that just landed, that one out there that looks like a bird?”

His father stopped mid-bite as he turned towards the ship slowly. His face took on that only-stuff-grown-ups-should-know look, and then he stared intensely at Ryan with those strange blood-red eyes of his. Slowly, deliberately, he finally answered, “Yes, I know them, son. They are old friends of the family. They’re here just to check on how we’re doing.”

There’s gotta be more to it than that!

“Could they be from Tarrus?” suggested Ryan tactfully. “Maybe they’re coming to talk to you guys about the time that you were Elementals?” Uh, oh. He’d just said the taboo word. Elementals. A word filled with wonder, and at the same time, danger.

Instead of changing the subject, like Ryan expected him to do, his father smiled. It was a strange smile, mixed with both sadness and pride. Then, after sharing a meaningful look with his wife, his father said, “Yes, it might just have something to do with our old Elemental days. Nothing to worry about though, I’m sure. Just a couple of old geezers talking about war stories together.” Ryan heard a slight ‘ahem’ from his mother, and then his father realized his mistake and quickly amended with, “Not that your mother is by any means an old geezer! In fact, she is the farthest thing from it!”

This was apparently the right answer, for Brianna rubbed Richard’s hand tenderly before saying, “For that matter, I wouldn’t describe you as an old geezer either. Not in the slightest.”

They then shared a knowing chuckle together, and Ryan knew that they were talking about smoochy stuff again. It made him a little nauseous. Although Ryan of all people could understand why his dad got so ‘goo-goo’ eyed around mom. To Ryan, Brianna Uruks was the most beautiful creature in the universe.

Many considered Elves more graceful and fairer than most humans. However, in Ryan’s opinion, even the best among them paled in comparison to his noble mother, who displayed the bearing of a queen. Brianna Uruks had a strong, oval face dotted eloquently with dimples on her cheek of creamy skin. She had a tiny beauty mark just below the left corner of her mouth that Ryan’s father often admired. Her long, flowing hair was bright scarlet like Ryan’s, and she possessed the most astonishing gray eyes.

She stood tall for a woman, with a straight back and an athletic build. He once heard rumors that his mother descended from the Angels, the most mystical and powerful people in the universe, and Ryan didn’t doubt it. She usually wore a simple green dress with long sleeves, the traditional attire of the Elven woman which accentuated her graceful figure wonderfully. The smell of honey always accompanied her. She told him it was from her perfume, but Ryan wondered if she just naturally smelled so sweet.

As Richard and Brianna shared a look that only two people in love could understand, Richard turned to Ryan with eyes both cautious and assertive. “But those days of adventuring across the stars are long behind us. Nothing in this universe means more to me or your mother than protecting you. Now I know you’ll be eager to meet these strangers from Tarrus, but I don’t want you getting involved. There are things that are better for you to learn when you’re older. Your mother and I are going out to meet them, but we want you to stay here out of harm’s way.”

Ryan became concerned at hearing that. “Why? Are they dangerous?”

His mother answered with a reassuring smile and a tender squeeze of his shoulder. “Of course not, dear. They’re our friends. Your father and I just want to be cautious, that’s all. We don’t wish to burden you with troubles that you need not be burdened with. That’s why I’m asking … no … more like begging you to please stay here and stay out of trouble. You can even go play at Henry’s house if you want, just as long as you stay far away from the newcomers.”

Ryan turned to Henry hopefully, who had been eagerly eating his pies, but at the same time listening intently. Amazing how Elves could multi-task like that; or at least Ryan never managed to eat and pay attention to a conversation at the same time.

Henry respectfully put his pie down and said, “You’re welcome to come, but I don’t think we’ll be having much fun. It’s my family’s weekly celebration of nature. You know, the time when all the Elves gather around the plants and chant for hours.”

Ryan huffed in disappointment. “You Elves don’t do anything small, do you? Well, I guess you gotta make up for being short in some ways.”

Henry just narrowed his eyes at Ryan and frowned.

“Don’t worry about me, guys. I’ll be fine,” said Ryan reassuringly.

Ryan’s father eyed him suspiciously. “You’re not planning on doing something mischievous, are you, son? I’m still getting complaints from the time you taught the Elf children how to make water balloons out of the giant green bean pods. The elders were riding my tail for a week after that nightmare.”

Ryan gave his most innocent, puppy-dog look. “Of course not, father. I wouldn’t dream of pranking now. Why would I? I’ve learned the error of my ways and become a model citizen. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about.” Ryan reasoned that since he wasn’t planning on pranking anyone, he wasn’t necessarily lying.

Ryan then turned away with a secret sigh. He knew his parents loved him, and he loved them just as much. But he wondered if they had given up their lives of romance and glamour because of him. They deserved so much more than to live in obscurity in this little colony where no one even knew who they were, or the amazing things they must have done in their lifetime as Elementals.

That’s why I’ve gotta find out everything about these strange visitors while I have the chance!

As everyone left the house, Ryan stood at the door to see his parents off. “Remember, Ryan,” said Richard, raising a finger warningly. “If you go playing in Pinnfar Woods don’t-“

“Don’t go past the meadow of the butterbarts,” finished Ryan. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

“And don’t be out past dark,” warned Ryan’s mother.

“Got it, mom.”

Ryan and Henry bumped fists in their customary farewell. As his parents left to rendezvous with their mysterious visitors, Ryan snuck out of the house through his window. It wasn’t really necessary since both of his parents had already left, but it just made him feel cool. He balanced on the window sill and was just about to follow his parents when something caught his eye.

Just coming down from the back exit of the space platform was the most beautiful thing to ever come across his field of vision. A girl, maybe a year or two older than Ryan judging from her height. She wore a shiny, jeweled dress and crystal shoes so fine that Ryan could actually see her feet inside. Her dress was an elegant shade of blue and white and it seemed to sparkle in the sun.

But most amazing of all was her long, silver-gray hair that went down her shoulder blades and over her back, almost resembling a cape. Even though the girl was clearly human, or at least she didn’t have pointy ears, her shiny hair seemed to give off a faint, magical glow as it reflected the fading sun. And most alluring were her eyes, which shone deep violet.

In those eyes, Ryan saw a person of such nobility and authority that she must have been a queen; the fact that she was only a couple years older than him didn’t seem to matter that much. This girl probably held the station of no less than ruler of the whole universe. It seemed to suit her well as she walked gracefully through the gardens with obvious self-confidence, as if she were overlord of all she surveyed. Ryan knew that she must’ve been from the ship. Not only did her dress and figure fit the design of the smooth vessel, but Ryan could tell that she wasn’t with the usual human riff-raff that lived in the colony.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Ryan started following the silver-haired princess as she traveled deep into the woods. Why she would even want to travel in the woods remained a mystery, but then again, mysteries are part of the reason that made adventures fun.

Chapter 2: The Silver-Haired Princess

Everyone does something reckless at some point during the course of their lives. The important thing to remember is to have the courage to do something reckless again when it matters.

Ryan stealthily followed the silver-haired girl as she clumsily made her way through the woods. It seemed pretty obvious that she wasn’t used to this kind of terrain, but that didn’t seem to deter her. In fact, because of the difficulty she faced, she seemed all the more determined in her trek as she continued doggedly through the trees.

Ryan easily stayed out of sight as he observed her with both curiosity and caution. There was something startlingly seductive about the girl, and it was more than her status as the most gorgeous ten or eleven-year-old alive. Her presence gave off a tangible aura, bestowing her with temerity that went beyond her years. From what Ryan could tell, she appeared very angry about something as her brow furrowed in both frustration and focus. Then, a more alarmed and worried expression came to her features, and Ryan wondered if she noticed him watching her. But that couldn’t be it. Ryan knew these woods well, but more than that, he knew how to hide his presence in the woods from his father’s hunting lessons.

Right at that moment, he tripped over a branch and tumbled into a bush of red thorns, the ones that stung like bee stings. It took all of Ryan’s self-control to keep from yelping and running to his mom for comfort. The girl quickly turned in Ryan’s direction, but couldn’t see him hiding painfully in the thorn bushes.

Well, I am kind of stealthy most of the time. Least dad didn’t see that.

Ryan still messed up from time to time, which caused the game to get away, but his father never got mad as he laughed and would say, “I’ve seen drunken Were-elephants with more grace than you.” In some ways, Ryan wished his dad would get mad instead of giving him those crumby one-liners.

As Ryan thought of his actions up to that point, he didn’t really know why he was following the girl in the first place. But then as he considered things more carefully, he realized the answer almost immediately. This girl had obviously come from that mysterious vessel, which meant that she came from off-world. Judging from her aristocratic bearing, she was probably someone of great importance, and people like that always had something to do with Elementals.

At the very least, she’d be able to fill him in on more details of the Elementals than the scraps he got from his parents, or the Elves whispering rumors around the village. Ryan didn’t know how or why, but this girl was somehow inextricably linked to the Elementals, and he felt determined to find out all the answers he could. It was more than just a mere passing fancy; it was destiny, or something cool like that. As the silver-haired princess turned away from the bushes and resumed her journey, Ryan continued to follow his quarry as subtly as possible.

It’s a good thing she’s not an animal, or she would’ve noticed me by now, Ryan thought to himself as he stepped on twigs and occasionally tripped on rocks accidentally. His father would be beside himself with grief right now; either that, or laughing up a storm.

But as much noise as Ryan made, it was nothing compared to this girl bulldozing through everything in her path. Judging from her fair skin, she hadn’t spent a day outdoors in her life, let alone a hike through an alien forest. It soon became obvious that the girl was searching for the way back but had become hopelessly lost as they started going in circles. They continued like that for a while until the princess finally realized her predicament. When it seemed like she’d never find her way back, she knelt down and sobbed pathetically into her arms.

Ryan couldn’t help but feel bad for her as he slowly made his way closer, but then thought better of it. Ryan knew from his father’s stories that there were bad Elementals as well as good ones. ‘Mystics’ he’d called them. Despite the fact that she looked like a harmless little girl, Ryan knew that she could be anything but harmless. There was no telling what kind of powers she could unleash on him if he revealed himself.

She might have super strength and lift him up by his ears to give him a spanking. She might be able to summon his greatest fear; Ogres dressed up as clowns, a secret Ryan had managed to conceal from Henry and his father up to that point. She might even have the power to turn him into the thing he dreaded even more than Ogre Clowns … a girl. His mom would faint, and his father wouldn’t even be able to look at him. He’d be the village laughingstock. Or more accurately, he’d be an even bigger village laughingstock.

Ryan was just about to abandon the idea of speaking to her altogether when he looked over at the girl, noting her obvious distress. Finally deciding to throw caution to the wind, he boldly strode toward the girl … or rather, he boldly, but quietly, climbed the trunk of the tree that she leaned under. Instead of just saying ‘hi’ like a normal person, he got a better look at her from the branches.

I may be the hero, but I’m not an idiot, he thought to himself in an attempt to justify his abandoned sense of bravado.

The girl seemed to sense his presence as she suddenly stood up with alarm and shouted, “Who’s there?”

Ryan watched quietly from above as he desperately tried not to think of anything incriminating in case she could read his mind. Oops! He just started thinking about the time he put hot sauce into everyone’s drinks back at the autumn festival. Great! Now she’ll know I’m a prankster; that should endear me to the all-powerful witch girl.

But instead of responding to his thoughts, the girl continued her act of feigned ignorance. “If there’s anybody there, I’m warning you. My godfather’s a very powerful Elemental, and he’ll trounce anyone who’s mean to me.”

Mental note: don’t be mean. Mental note number two: what the heck does ‘trounce’ mean?

Ryan was just starting to think about whether or not her Elemental godfather knew his dad when his grip on the trunk slipped, and he unexpectedly fell face-first from the tree. Luckily, he managed to wrap his legs around a stray branch right before he hit the forest floor. Not so lucky, he found himself staring upside down into the beautiful, violet eyes of the silver-haired girl. They stared at each other in shock for a few seconds before the girl screamed in terror and delivered a stinging blow to his nose.

Of all the places, why’d she have to hit me in the nose? I have a very sensitive nose! That’s where Henry hit me after all, and it still hurts!

The sudden violence to his olfactory region suddenly caused his legs to lose their hold on the branch, which ironically made him hit his nose on the ground yet again when he fell. From the depths of his agony and humiliation, Ryan observed the girl turn to flee, but then she stopped as if afraid to be alone again. She seemed to be scrutinizing him intensely in a way that made him feel uncomfortable, no doubt discerning how much of a threat he represented.

Trust me, sister. I’m the one who’s threatened here!

No doubt from this distance, she would notice his red hair and even more frightening red eyes that he had inherited from his father. She could probably even see his scales, and would realize that he was a half-breed. Ryan expected the girl to bolt just like all the other human girls who saw him did, but surprisingly, she just quietly observed him, which he found even more disturbing in some ways.

Ryan quickly composed himself, dusting off the leaves from his clothes and the blood from his nose, as he rose to his full height. Not that his full height appeared imposing since she stood at least a head taller than he did. He was just about to deliver the most cutting remark he could think of when he found his mouth going slack just looking at her.

She looked even more exquisite up close. Even with the tears in her dress, and the dirt on her face, nothing could subdue the beauty of her presence. At this distance, he could see small diamonds all over the dress that made every color of the rainbow. Her skin was fair and creamy, almost pale. She had a flawless, angular face with high-cheekbones. Her shiny, silver hair covered one of her eyes, but the other flashed at him as clear as a purple star. The faint scent of roses and strawberries wafted into Ryan’s nose, reminding him of his mother’s perfume.

I swear this girl is beauty incarnate! Ryan had once heard his dad describe his mom like that, and it seemed an apt description.

The awkward silence dragged on and Ryan realized that the girl was waiting for him to say something. In desperation, he clung to his original idea of protesting his victimization and rubbed his sore nose.

“What’d you do that for?!” He thought he gave a good impression of victimization very well.

The girl suddenly seemed to panic as she said, “I-I’m sorry! You just startled me, that’s all. But you couldn’t have come at a better time. I was wondering when Zand would send someone to fetch me, but I didn’t think it would be a…” She trailed off midsentence as she seemed to notice something, “Are you crying?”

Ryan quickly realized in horror that the double impact endured by his nose had produced tears of their own volition. Hoping to contain the situation, he wiped his eyes and fell back to the only defense that nine-year-old boys possessed in situations such as these, lying through their teeth.

“I-I wasn’t crying,” he said a little too loudly, “There were just a few water slugs on my face. Besides, I’m a warrior, and warriors don’t cry.” Ryan remembered that last part from one of his dad’s holomovies, and from then on it became one of his mottos.

The silver-haired girl didn’t seem to be convinced as she smiled capriciously with a raised eyebrow.

How could she not believe that? It’s in literature! Well, I’m pretty sure holomovies count as literature. And everyone knows that water slugs are real, they just don’t come out that often. Man, maybe she really can read minds!

As if on cue, the girl cocked her and said with obvious delight, “Well, it certainly looked like you were crying, didn’t it?” She spoke in a silky, sweet voice with just a hint of sarcasm to drive the knife deeper into Ryan’s ego.

Blast! She’s better than I thought. No one has been able to see through my ruse like that before, thought Ryan in frustration.

Instead of coming up with another lie, Ryan did the one thing that he could think of to retain what little dignity he had left. He went on the offensive. “You were crying too,” he stated triumphantly, feeling his lost honor being restored.

“N-no I wasn’t,” replied the silver-haired girl indignantly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Was too,” he said more assertively as if that should settle the matter.

The silver-haired girl, despite being more refined than Ryan, was obviously just as stubborn as she replied even more assertively, “Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not!”

This back-and-forth tirade continued until both parties finally exhausted themselves. After what seemed hours later of endless ‘was nots’ and ‘was toos,’ Ryan finally decided to change tactics and at the same time get some answers. “What are you doing out here anyway?” asked Ryan, panting slightly.

The girl suddenly seemed distressed as if she’d been doing something unladylike by debating with a commoner. She then dusted herself off as best she could and spoke in a business-like manner. “Well, if you must know. I was trying to get the attention of my godfather, Zanderius Alastar, who I haven’t seen in months on account that I’ve been gone at a boarding school for noble born.”

She then held her hands behind her back and raised her chin proudly before continuing. “Just when we are finally reunited in what almost seemed a lifetime, he goes off to some meeting on an Elf colony and is too busy to even give me the time of day. I thought that if I turned up missing, it would be a suitable punishment to him for ignoring me. But I was only planning on being gone an hour or two. I was just on my way back when I bumped into you. I was in complete control of the situation, though, so there’s no need to make a fuss.”

She sure talks a lot, thought Ryan idly as he suddenly remembered an important topic that his opponent had overlooked.

“That still doesn’t explain why you were crying,” he said wryly, moving in for the killing blow, verbally speaking that is.

Her cheeks suddenly went red as she retorted. “I wasn’t crying! I-I was practicing for a play. You see, there’s this part where I have to pretend to cry and it just seemed like a good idea at the time since I thought no one was watching.”

Hmm. Impressive! She came up with that right on the fly … very original. But I’ve still got an ace up my sleeve. Ryan grinned wickedly as he prepared for his final attack.

“Ha! And would that ‘play’ include lying through your teeth, ‘cause that’s what you’re doing, sister! I know these woods like the back of my hand, and I can tell when someone’s lost. The way to get back to the colony is in the opposite direction. Here’s what really happened. You came into the woods mad, but then realized you were in over your head. When you tried to go back, you knew that you were lost, got scared and started crying like a little girl.”

Even though she was a little girl, she completely took that for granted as she tried in futility to save her pride. “I. WAS. NOT. CRYING!”

“YOU WERE SO CRYING TIMES INFINITY, AND THAT’S FINAL!” Ryan yelled with a decisive nod.

Bam! Hook-line-and-sinker! Just to get his point across, he used the legendary ‘infinity’ maneuver that no child could debate no matter how creative.

The girl crossed her arms in tiny fury and bottled rage as she realized that she had lost. She then said something that surprised Ryan. “What’s your name, boy?”

Her question surprised Ryan, but he quickly composed himself before he started blushing. “The name’s Uruks. Ryan Uruks. Son of Richard Uruks, the greatest warrior in the universe.” He then thumped his chest with pride as he had sometimes seen his father do to pump himself up.

The silver-haired girl seemed unfazed by his display of manliness and simply replied coldly, “Well, Ryan Uruks, my name is Éclair Hamashe, daughter of Voelair Hamashe. And in all my days, no one has ever had the gall to treat me so … so … so uncivilized!” She smiled in triumph waiting for his comeback.

Oh, how naïve, Ryan thought smugly to himself as he prepared his defense.

“Pfft,” he said in a voice like he could care less. “I don’t even know what unsissylies means, sister!” He really didn’t.

The girl seemed on the brink of tears again as her face scrunched up in outrage and her little fists quivered at her sides. Ryan began to think that he’d gone too far. Just as he was about to swallow his pride and do the unspeakable, namely apologize, the girl steadied her fists at her sides in newfound resolve.

“Good day to you, sir,” said the girl curtly. Though for some reason, Ryan doubted that she wanted him to have a good day. With that, she turned to leave.

Ryan realized that he’d blown it. He’d let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to a real Elemental slip through his fingers. With a growing sense of urgency, he tried to remedy the situation.

“Hey, you! Wait,” Ryan cried out desperately, “I want to ask you something!”

“My name is not ‘you’! It’s Éclair, as I just told you,” she snipped back with a sniff.

“Hey, Éclair! Please wait up!”

The girl ignored him and just continued marching away. Ryan sprinted around her and blocked her path. The girl appeared shocked as if she didn’t expect anyone could run that fast. Or maybe because she didn’t think anyone would dare bar her way.

“Your father, Zander-whatever … he’s an Elemental, right?”

Éclair suddenly turned away sadly, and Ryan knew he had said the wrong thing. “Zanderius is my godfather. My real father died before I was born.”

Ryan scolded himself. He’d just screwed things up again. No way she’d ever forgive him now. Despite the fact that it couldn’t possibly heal the wound inflicted, Ryan said as sincerely as he could, “I’m so sorry.”

Éclair seemed to brighten a bit, but she still regarded him suspiciously. “Why are you so desperate to meet an Elemental?”

She doesn’t beat around the bush.

Seizing on his growing success, Ryan decided to explain his secret dream. Though she’d probably laugh at him until his ears fell off, he knew she wouldn’t be satisfied by anything but the truth. “More than anything in the universe, it’s my dream to one day become an Elemental warrior who fights for truth and justice, just like my dad did! One day when I grow up, I vow to become the greatest Elemental who ever lived! That’s why I need to find out everything I can about Elementals now!”

Ryan then cringed at the ridicule that he knew would come, but none did. Éclair just stared at him even more intensely, her eyes boring into his soul. When she didn’t say anything, he thought that maybe she was too stunned to speak because of how crazy he sounded.

Then she spoke in a slow and deliberate voice. “Maranu Toramir.”

“What?”

Then she laughed, but it wasn’t a scolding, mocking laugh. For some reason, her laughter sounded as pleasant to Ryan as the smooth sound of a spring or a bird.

“Maranu Toramir, silly,” she persisted. “He was known throughout the universe as the man who faced the Great Dragon and became the first and greatest Elemental to ever live. Not only that, but he’s also credited by many to be the founder of the Elemental Ministries and of the entire Tarrus Empire. In fact, this very colony was named in his honor countless millennia ago. If you’re serious about becoming an Elemental, then you should learn everything you can about him.”

Maranu Toramir! The man that started it all! And this village is named after him?! I’ve gotta ask dad about this guy when I get the chance!

In an attempt to save some face, Ryan shrugged and said, “Oh, yeah! That Maranu Toramir! I was just testing you! You pass!” Ryan winked nonchalantly and gave a thumbs-up.

Instead of mocking him for his clear ignorance of Elemental lore, she giggled in her sweet-sounding laugh. “You’re a strange boy, Ryan Uruks.”

Ryan grinned sheepishly as he started thinking of the inspirational speech he’d thought up to tell his parents on the day that he went off to become an Elemental. “Okay. So I didn’t know who Maranu Toramir was, but I do now. And I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care how hard I have to work, or how long it takes. I don’t even care who believes in me and who doesn’t.”

Ryan then looked up through the trees, imagining the stars that hovered above. “One day, I’ll become an Elemental warrior who fights for truth and justice, just like my dad did! I’m going to bring honor to my parents despite what others may think of me and my dad just because we’re a little different. One day, I’ll claim Maranu Toramir’s title as the greatest Elemental who ever lived. One day, there won’t be an Elemental, human or alien alive who doesn’t know my name! This is my dream, and I will give anything to make it happen, even my life, because I promised myself that I would; and if I’ve learned anything from my dad, it’s that a real man always keeps his promises. And I-I’ll de-definitely … definitely…”

Ryan then flushed and looked down at his feet. He immediately wished that he could take all his words back. She probably thinks I’m some stupid kid ranting about a fantasy that’ll never come true.

After a long silence, Éclair Hamashe quietly said, “I believe you.” She spoke it simply and sincerely. Not in a sarcastic way, but in a way that sounded like she truly believed every grandiose word he had uttered.

Ryan’s mouth hung open halfway as he said, “You do?”

Éclair then smiled as brilliantly as the sun. “Of course! What do all those snobby grown-ups know, anyway! Who cares if they’re older than us? Who cares if they think our dreams are stupid? They were kids just like us once. They had dreams too! So why can’t we have hopes for the future? Why can’t we have dreams?”

Unable to come up with a suitable reply to express his gratitude, Ryan simply said, “I like you.”

Chapter 3: Butterbarts in the Woods

There is a time for impulsiveness and there is a time for reason. It’s your job to decide when to use either.

Éclair started blushing for some reason, but Ryan wasn’t really paying attention. Ryan just remembered his secret place in the woods that not even Henry knew about. As if compelled by a celestial force, he felt a strange compulsion to take Éclair to that secret place.

Besides, this will give me the perfect chance to test the Devastator.

Without a second’s hesitation, or even a rational thought, Ryan took Éclair by the hand, pulling her into the woods.

Éclair, surprised by his actions, began to protest. “What do you think you’re doing? I need to get back to Zand. He’s probably worried sick about me. I want to get out of the woods, not go deeper into them. What if there are predators about?”

“I want to take you to a secret, magical place so that we can have an adventure, just like real Elementals,” consoled Ryan with a reassuring smile.

“You don’t understand. If I don’t return as soon as possible, I’ll get into loads of trouble.”

Ryan shrugged. This girl didn’t know trouble like he did. Besides, a girl like her - who probably never misbehaved a day in her life - would most likely just get away with a slap on the wrist. “This will only take a minute. It’ll be fun, trust me. We’re going on an adventure. What could be so bad about that?”

Éclair seemed like she wanted to argue some more, but as she opened her mouth, Ryan took her by the shoulders. He brought his face up to hers and looked her square in the eye with his most serious look ever; he called it his ‘Staring Zombie.’ “You want to be an Elemental too someday, right?”

Éclair jolted in surprise, and Ryan knew that he guessed right. He wasn’t sure until he had actually said the words, but from everything he’d deduced from Éclair’s behavior, he somehow knew. One of the reasons that he felt a strong connection to her was that she shared the same dream as him, a dream that others would scoff at.

“One of the most sacred duties of an Elemental is to understand the mysteries of the universe, fighting and warfare are only secondary; at least that’s what my dad tells me. We are standing in an ancient forest on a world that you’ve never even been to before. Don’t you want to know what’s out there? Don’t you want to see it for yourself instead of just hearing about it from others?”

Éclair glanced down briefly, her facial features showing uncertainty.

“Even if it’s for just a moment,” Ryan continued. “it could be the moment that changes your life forever. Besides, I know these woods like the back of my hand, and there really isn’t much of anything that dangerous, as long as you know where to go. And even on the off chance that we do see something bad, then I, Ryan Uruks, vow to protect you with my life, Éclair Hamashe! Please, believe me!”

Wow, I just gave myself chills! Thank you father for pounding into me the art of public speaking … and thank you soap operas as well for my flair for the dramatic.

Éclair seemed shocked at his speech, as if she had never heard anyone talk like that before. Ryan was about to dig deep and rack his brain for something that sounded even cooler, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Slowly, Éclair took hold of Ryan’s hand, which felt really good for reasons that Ryan’s nine-year-old brain couldn’t explain.

Éclair smiled her amazing sun smile and said in her sweetest, silkiest voice, “I do believe you, Ryan Uruks. Very well, I’m already in trouble as it is, so I might as well enjoy my moments of freedom while I can. Besides, it’s not every day that a maiden is offered such a kingly escort.”

Ryan nearly blushed yet again. He wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘escort,’ but it sounded awesome. He quickly turned around to lead the way so she couldn’t see his face turn a slight shade of purple. Ryan had first turned purple one night when he woke up outside and realized that he’d been sleepwalking in his underwear. His dad told him that it was just a Saurian thing, and that it should wear off eventually; though, Ryan doubted it because he could swear that he saw his dad turn purple once.

It didn’t take long to get to his secret place in Pinnfar Woods. Éclair only occasionally glanced around cautiously as she acclimatized to her new environment. Ryan had come across his secret spot years ago, the one place in Pinnfar Woods where the sun shone down onto the ground unopposed; though his dad had warned him never to go past it. Ryan never really knew why, and his dad only told him that the forest was uncharted past the secret spot.

The sunlight streaming down looked like a beacon from heaven, and even more glorious were the strange plants in the clearing that glowed and changed colors when people approached them. The clearing sported a large field of different kinds of flowers with a sparkling stream surrounding the multicolored floral arrangement. He called it the Butterbart’s Meadow, because it was one of the few places where the butterbarts rested on the forest floor.

Right on cue, the little creatures flew up from their hiding places in the flowers and began to swarm around Éclair and Ryan. Éclair became frightened at first as she tried to run, but a reassuring pat on the shoulder from Ryan mitigated her fears. The butterbarts were just happy to see them. They didn’t get very many visitors to their secret meadow.

Ryan boldly walked into the middle of the butterbart’s swarm to show Éclair their docile nature. “These are my friends, the butterbarts. My parents have some long and complicated name for them, but I like to call them butterbarts because they are like a mix between butterflies, birds, and bats! See?”

Ryan gently plucked one from the sky, petted it on the soft spot on its back which made it purr pleasurably, and then held it up to Éclair. Her mouth hung open in obvious wonder. Sure enough, in the palm of his hand, she beheld a strange little creature that had a black, furry body with long pointy ears on its head that looked like a bat, a small yellow beak and legs like a bird, and bright, purple wings that looked like a butterfly’s. Each creature had slightly different colors on its wings, ranging from differing shades of red, blue, and yellow. Ryan let the flying creature join its swarm as they swirled around him and Éclair in oscillating patterns of various colors.

“Don’t worry. They’re really smart, and they love people, especially kids. But they don’t get to play as much as they would like to because most people are too afraid to come this far into the woods for some reason. I like to play tag with them because they make some weird, funny noises when you catch them. Watch!”

Ryan then ran towards the butterbarts, and they knew instantly that the game was on. He would sometimes come to the meadow and play tag with the butterbarts for hours. It was a fairly simple game; Ryan would run into the swarm and try to catch one in his hands. The butterbarts wanted it to be as fun as possible, so they stayed low to the ground so that he could still reach them. When he did catch one, it would make a funny noise as if signaling to the others, and then they would swarm around Ryan and try to tag him with their wings. It was loads of fun because their wings tickled, and sometimes they would peck him on his belly with their tiny beaks. It didn’t hurt, but it made him laugh even more. Ryan had even begun to name a few of them that he recognized and would sometimes bring them treats.

Knowing that they preferred playing after snacks, Ryan fished out some crackers from his pockets, and the creatures circled his hand, buzzing and nibbling with obvious delight. He then threw the crumbs in the air, and the butterbarts caught every piece without touching the ground. He played with the butterbarts shamelessly in pure childish glee. Ryan motioned for Éclair to join him. She seemed to hesitate as she maintained her static position. He realized that as some important noble born, she had probably never done anything like this before.

Maybe she’s having second thoughts. Maybe she thinks I’m some weirdo.

Almost as if to put Ryan’s worries to ease, Éclair abandoned her inhibitions, and joined in the revelry, giggling madly. It was glorious. The butterbarts chirped in delight, because now they had two targets instead of one. They played a game of tag like they never played before. Éclair was quick and light on her feet as she tagged butterbarts right and left. In response to this new level of resistance by their opponents, the butterbarts started picking up small twigs and pebbles to drop on Ryan and Éclair’s heads.

Apparently, they thought that should count because they ran away when they hit their targets. Ryan shook his head in astonishment. They had never done that before when it was just him playing. In response, he and Éclair climbed the taller trees where they could better reach the high-flying bombers. When the butterbarts realized that their plans had been foiled, they headed towards the small stream at the edge of the meadow, scooping up the water in their beaks and shooting it at Éclair and Ryan.

Éclair then dashed into the stream and splashed some at the aerial misfits. That counted too, because when they were splashed, the butterbarts would make their weird noise, turn around, scoop up some water and return fire at Éclair. It was the most fun that Ryan ever had in his life.

Eventually, children and butterbarts alike exhausted themselves, and without an official timeout, both teams flopped down into the color-changing flowers. Ryan could tell that the butterbarts were really taken with Éclair judging by the way they nuzzled up next to her. As they cuddled up all around the princess, they looked like her stuffed animals, or something girly like that. Éclair laughed gently as one small butterbart climbed into her lap, yawned and took a nap.

Éclair turned to Ryan with eyes glistening in wonder. “Thank you, Ryan. This has been one of the best days of my life. To be honest, I’ve never really done things like this with other children. You know, normal mischievous things that kids do. My mother always taught me that I must compose myself at all times, because there will come a day that I will inherit the responsibility of leadership.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t she an Elemental too?”

Éclair shook her head sadly. “No, my godfather is an Elemental. My mother was a … a noblewoman from a wealthy family, much like my birth father. She says that the life of an Elemental is not fit for a lady of the court. Don’t get me wrong. Mother is a kind person who loves me very much, but she is a little bossy.”

Ryan nodded in understanding. “Yeah, my mom is like that too sometimes.”

Éclair leaned on her elbow, though carefully so as not to jostle the sleeping butterbarts. “Mother wants me to join the Imperial Court and become a politician. I don’t have any Elemental powers right now, but if I did … I mean on the off chance that I awakened Elemental powers like my godfather, I would be prohibited from running for office in the Imperial Court. It’s their way of maintaining the balance of power between the Elementals and the normal humans, or the ‘Pure-Skins’ as some like to refer to themselves. That’s why mother discourages my dreams of one day walking in my godfather’s footsteps.”

You too, huh! Why do grown-ups have to be so controlling?

Ryan didn’t have a clue about all the political mumbo-jumbo that she was talking about, but he did know what it felt like to have a forbidden dream. Ryan then thought of something else that might cheer her up. “What about your godfather? He likes your dream of becoming an Elemental, right?”

Éclair smiled, though it seemed a sad smile. “My godfather has stated in the past that I should be free to choose my own path, but that’s hardly enough to sway mother. Zanderius is not my real father, and he’s not married to my mother, so he doesn’t have any real say in my future. I know my mother means well, but I can’t change what my heart desires. I know that living in some office, no matter how grand, and helping to pass laws that most people would disagree with anyway is not what I’m meant to do with my life. Don’t ask me how I know, I just know that Destiny surely has something else in store for me; something brighter. Or at least I hope she does.”

Éclair then sat up as she gazed out across the meadow. A nice breeze blew in, rippling through her silver-gray hair in such a way that it looked like nothing less than a flowing river. The way the sun hit her hair in that moment resembled starlight as it flowed through the wind. Ryan forgot how to breathe for some reason.

What is it about this girl that makes me feel so weird?

Éclair then reached out and plucked a white rose from the meadow, breathing in deeply its scent. “White roses have always been my favorite. You should remember that.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the boy’s job to remember what kind of flowers the girl likes,” she said with a delighted giggle.

“Oh,” responded Ryan, slightly confused.

Éclair yawned with sleepy contentment and muttered softly to herself, “This place really is magical.” And then without warning, Éclair laid her head down and drifted off to sleep, clutching the white rose to her chest.

---

It watched the girl closely as she started to stir, finally coming awake at last. It had waited a long time for this moment, and it could hardly afford any mistakes. The girl yawned and stretched happily, laying down the white rose and observing her surroundings. As the girl tenderly stroked the butterbart that slept in her lap, she finally sensed something amiss.

“Ryan! Ryan, where are you?”

Now alarmed, the girl circled the meadow, searching for her counterpart. When she failed to find him in her vicinity, she began to panic. “Ryan Uruks, this is not funny!”

The time had come. With a soft whistle inaudible to human ears, the butterbarts suddenly dashed from the meadow as if their lives depended on it. The girl screamed with surprise as she found herself once again alone in the woods. With the keenness of a predator observing its prey, it perceived the girl as her imagination slowly got the better of her. With a twitch of its fingers, it caused some of the bushes near her to shake ever so slightly, but still enough not to go unnoticed.

With a flick of its wrist, the girl turned just in time to see a shadow dash just out of her field of vision. Now confusion and concern were slowly being replaced by fright. Time for the grand finale. With a great unearthly roar, it stood to its full imposing height, revealing itself in all its terrible glory. The girl screamed as terror overwhelmed all logic. She turned to run, but then tripped over her own skirt and fell to the ground. All sense of reason abandoned, the girl covered herself with her arms as she tried to stave off what she perceived as the inevitable. And that is when Ryan Uruks started laughing, delighted that his prank had succeeded so splendidly.

“Ha! Fake out! I got you! I so got you!”

Éclair stopped cringing as she recognized the voice, and her face changed from that of fear to confusion.

“That was cool, right? I never thought it would work out so awesome.”

Éclair rose as she studied the wooden dummy that Ryan was hiding in. He came out of the mouth so as to put at ease any more worries.

“Ta-da! It’s me! You were a perfect test subject. I’ve been working on this thing for months. I call it the ‘Devastator.’ Pretty sweet, huh! I used bits and pieces of bark, sticks, and leaves to make it as scary as possible. I’ve never had the chance to try it out on anybody though … not even Henry would come this deep into the woods.”

Éclair was still shocked speechless. Ryan took this as her being impressed by his genius. He then motioned towards the thin, green vines in his hand and the log hanging from other vines right next to the dummy.

“I used these vines to make bushes move, and to cause that little log over there to swing right in that shadowy place where you couldn’t see properly. I also had to wait for the perfect time of day to use all this so that you would be fooled. Just as the sun is setting, there’s still light so you can see some things, but not enough for you to see everything.”

Éclair’s confused expression slowly morphed into anger, but Ryan hardly noticed while in the middle of his monologue.

“Oh! And if you’re wondering about that roar, you should know that since I’m part Saurian, I can make animal noises. Check this out.”

Ryan then cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated the roar of a fully-grown Wingless Dragon. His dad told him that one day he would be able to do it without cupping his hands. Ryan thought that Éclair would be impressed by his brilliance and would agree to help lure some more kids into the woods so that they could scare them. Instead, Éclair crossed her arms and not only looked unimpressed, but angry. Not just angry, but furious even. At that moment, Éclair became more terrifying to him than when his mother caught him trying to drink straight out of the milk jug.

The enraged princess stomped towards the dummy in clear outrage, and Ryan knew that it was his turn to be afraid. “How dare you?!”

Éclair advanced on Ryan as he backed away, falling off his seat on the dummy. “It was just a joke.”

Éclair scoffed, beside herself with rage. “Just a joke! JUST A JOKE! That was the most frightening thing I’ve ever had to endure in my life! I thought I was alone in the woods again! I thought something happened to you! I was … I was actually worried about you!”

Éclair then rubbed her eyes, a slight whimper escaping her lips as she suppressed a sob. “And then you trick me with that thing you created and those noises you made! I thought I was going to die, Ryan! I thought I was going to be eaten by the same demonic beast that took my friend from me! Don’t you understand that? You … you buffoon! You brute! You ignoramus! You … YOU PIGHEADED, SLACK-JAWED RUFFIAN!!!”

Ryan cringed in fear. Éclair yelled even louder than his mom. As meekly as he could, he said, “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

But Éclair was far from done, trembling slightly with barely contained fury. “I’ve heard of boyish stupidity, but this takes it to a whole new level! In all my life, no one has had the gall to humiliate me so. If my godfather heard of this he’d … he’d…”

Éclair met Ryan’s gaze with more hurt than rage this time. “Ryan, why would you do something like that to me?”

Ryan’s mind went blank. More than anything at the moment, Ryan wished he could just crawl into a cave and get eaten by a bear. Too bad there weren’t any bears on Shak, or Ryan would’ve politely asked one to devour him to the bone. He didn’t really know why he’d done it; it just seemed like a good idea at the time. He had no way of knowing that it would hurt Éclair the way it did.

As he watched Éclair sleeping so peacefully, he started getting that nauseous feeling in his belly when his parents flirted with each other, and he didn’t like it. What was it about Éclair that made him feel so weird? She made him want to flee back to the simplicity of his basic habits, namely pranking. Ryan began to realize that this unfamiliar feeling scared him for some reason, but how could he say something like that to her?

“I … uh … I,” sputtered Ryan incoherently.

Éclair glared daggers at him, which only made him more nervous. Resolution soon shown in her violet eyes as she said softly, “I will never speak to you again.” And with that, she turned to leave.

Shoot me in the face! I screwed up again! I can’t let things end like this! I have to make it right no matter what!

In desperation, and with his voice breaking slightly, Ryan called out, “Éclair, I’m sorry! I really am! I’m sorry times infinity! Please don’t go! I’ll never do it again, honest!”

Éclair kept marching in the opposite direction as she shouted back at him, “I’m ignoring you!”

Maybe humor will work!

“Please don’t ‘nore me. I don’t want to be nored!” It might’ve been weak, but it was all he had.

Éclair didn’t even bother to comment on his bad grammar as she shouted, “Go away!”

“Ouch!” cried Ryan as he stepped on a sharp rock that cut his ankle.

Ryan had completely lost himself in his apologizing as he tripped over roots, stepped into mud puddles, and walked through spider webs. What’s worse, some spiders on Shak caused you to moo like a cow and walk like a chicken, and more than that, Ryan was terrified of spiders no matter what planet they came from.

As if the universe itself wanted to punish him, Ryan had the fight of his life just to keep up with Éclair’s brisk pace. Éclair, on the other hand, had no trouble at all, as if the forest had suddenly decided to bend to her will. The woods became denser and thicker, and the light started to fade. But appealing to Éclair seemed more important to Ryan at that moment.

I could try that thing I do with mom when I want something. Grovel and plead! Grovel and plead!

“I’ll do anything to make it up to you, I promise! I’ll jump off the highest tree in the forest! I’ll hold my breath for an hour! I’ll even ask my mom to make some of her galaxy famous pies for you!”

This time, Éclair didn’t even reply, and Ryan knew that all hope was lost. He’d made a new friend only to lose her, and it’s not like he made friends easily. Why should she forgive him? He’d maliciously tricked her in the most horrid way possible. Ryan stopped, hung his head in defeat and wanted to cry, but then he noticed something alarming. Ryan became so engrossed in apologizing to Éclair that he almost didn’t notice her leading them to the uncharted part of Pinnfar Woods.

Ryan began feeling uneasy as the woods soon became alien to him. Then, a profound sense of danger hit him, and he somehow knew that Éclair was walking straight for it. Ryan dashed after Éclair, disregarding the brush and the branches that battered away at him. However, she’d gotten so far ahead of him that he couldn’t see her anymore.

In panic, Ryan called out and prayed that she would answer. “ÉCLAIR, WAIT! YOU CAN’T GO THAT WAY!!!”

Ryan waited for what seemed a lifetime for her to reply, and by some miracle, she did. “Why shouldn’t I? There’s nothing to be afraid of, right? That’s what you said! I’m just following your advice!” yelled Éclair sarcastically.

Seizing on the direction of her voice, Ryan altered his path. “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! IT’S DANGEROUS! MY DAD WARNED ME NEVER TO GO PAST THE MEADOW!”

With annoyance and determination in her voice, Éclair said one last time, “I’m not listening to yo-AAH!!”

Chapter 4: Hanging Around

During ideal circumstances, you can be idle, but it’s only during times of desperation that you find out what you are really made of.

Ryan broke through the trees just in time to see Éclair step off the face of a cliff. It was a straight shot down at least a hundred feet. She screamed in fright and started to fall just as Ryan made a very athletic, and quite heroic, dive toward her. Éclair’s hand was only inches from his.

Time seemed to slow down as Ryan focused on his target and reached out as far as his little arm could stretch. He didn’t have time to think about what position he would take if he caught her, he didn’t have time to wonder if he even had the strength to hold on. His mind just focused on what needed to be done and his body seemed to do the rest, almost on its own accord. By the best of luck, he grabbed hold of her hand just in the nick of time.

As their fingers interlocked, he had to use his left hand to hold himself in place on his precarious perch on the side of the cliff. Éclair looked down to the hundred-foot drop that had almost become her final destination, and then back to Ryan. Tears of gratitude and fear slid down her cheeks.

Despite the fact that Éclair stood at least a head taller than Ryan, she was very light. More than light, Ryan found that he could easily hold her with one arm. Maybe that legendary Saurian strength had come in at last. With not nearly as much strain as he’d imagined, Ryan slowly began to lift Éclair up toward the ledge.

Just as things started looking up, they took a turn for the worst. The rock under Ryan suddenly gave way, and Ryan found himself plummeting down the cliff with Éclair. As the forces of gravity turned against him, Ryan realized that there was nothing quite as terrifying as freefalling. Of course, he had heard of thrill seekers who jumped thousands of feet from a transport for fun, but they all always carried jetpacks with them.

Who would want to do this? There’s nothing fun about it!

As Ryan fell still clutching Éclair with his right hand, his left hand seemed to inherit all the brains in his body as it reached out, grabbing madly for anything in range. With a numb sense of weightlessness, Ryan’s left hand caught some vines that hung down the cliff from the trees above.

I’ll never make fun of lefties again!

Despite his left hand’s success, this time without the leverage of the cliff, Ryan felt the full weight of Éclair’s body and his joints made an audible pop! Whatever just popped, it hurt worse than anything Ryan had felt before. He didn’t think his shoulder was broken, but it was probably out of place. If only he’d paid more attention in anatomy. Despite the pain, they were relatively secure in place. Then he heard a snapping noise. The vine that had saved both him and Éclair was slowly becoming undone.

I’ve got to think of something fast! But what? I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even I can tell that things are bad!

From his awkward position of holding Éclair with one hand and holding the vine with the other, he had neither the strength nor the leverage to pull the both of them up to safety. Besides that, he and Éclair were running out of time as every snap from the vine marked another second to their death.

No! Never give in to defeat! Dad taught you better than that! When life gets rough, you get rougher! If I can just think for a minute, there has gotta be something I can-

“Ryan,” squeaked Éclair, cutting into Ryan’s thoughts. “You should be able to pull yourself up if you let me go. You don’t have to feel guilty … you’ve done everything possi-”

Ryan cut her off. “I will not let you fall! I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it!” Éclair went silent and Ryan gripped her tighter in case she tried to let go.

There has to be something from my past that could help our situation.

Ryan raked his memory for a solution, but he just couldn’t think of one. And then, like lightning, it came to him. Ryan remembered seeing this cliff as a baby as he peeked through the window to look down at the colony as his family came down for a landing. He remembered seeing the spot very near where he and Éclair fell from the land markings. He also remembered seeing a ledge with strange grass just beyond this jagged rock that stuck out. For some reason, he got the distinct impression of bounciness from the grass. Ryan didn’t know how or why he suddenly remembered something from when he was a baby, but that didn’t really matter at this point.

Ryan turned to Éclair, and despite the circumstances, she looked up at him with timid hope. “Listen, I’m going to let you go!”

Hope suddenly faded from Éclair’s face. “What?”

“It’s not what you think,” explained Ryan quickly. “I’m not going to let you fall! There’s a ledge just below you with soft, bouncy grass that will cushion you! I just gotta swing you a little to the left so you don’t miss it.”

Éclair scanned the fall below her. “Ryan, I can’t see anything!”

“It’s there! Trust me!”

“Ryan … are you sure?”

“I said I wouldn’t trick you again, or let you die! I promised on my life. Please believe me.”

Éclair searched Ryan’s features for any trace of doubt. Then slowly, she said, “I do believe you.”

Nodding his encouragement, as well as his gratitude for her faith in him, Ryan made the calculations in his head; that is, if he knew what calculations were. “Alright, I’m gonna swing you on the count of three, and then you let go!”

Éclair nodded as she squeezed his hand even tighter than before. They were both sweating now, and Ryan neared the limits of his endurance. The pain became excruciating, and he was sure that his right arm might fall off at any moment. With the last reserves of his stamina, he began to swing Éclair as they counted together.

First swing. “One!”

Second swing. “Two!”

Third swing. “THREE!!”

Ryan let go of Éclair and she soon vanished behind the cliff face. He silently prayed with all his might to whatever God might listen that she’d be safe. For a brief moment, Ryan thought that he had gotten it wrong, that he had just sent Éclair to her death. That is, until he heard a strange noise that wasn’t a thunk, like a body hitting the ground, but more like a boing, like a bouncy ball, or maybe jello.

When he didn’t hear anything else, panic took over as he cried, “Éclair! Please tell me you’re alright!”

When she didn’t respond immediately, despair sunk its fangs into his heart and Ryan thought about letting go of the vine, but then he heard it. “I’m fine, Ryan! You were right! There’s a ledge here just out of view from that rock that’s sticking out! This grass is weird and bouncy too!”

Ryan couldn’t believe his ears. Bouncy grass on a cliff! He might’ve started laughing if the vine didn’t give out with one last snap! Ryan had only a second to register his situation and kick off from the rock in an attempt to reach the ledge with the soft, bouncy grass. Then he saw her sitting on a ledge that seemed to be the entrance to a cave on the side of the cliff.

Ryan instinctively reached toward Éclair, hoping beyond hope that she’d do the same for him. And fortunately, she did. Éclair caught Ryan in a death grip and yanked him within reach of the ledge. Ryan’s weight nearly pulled Éclair over the side, so just as he caught her, he grabbed hold of the ledge with his other hand. Ryan’s ribcage slammed into the side of the cliff, and Éclair teetered, but she still maintained her hold. Pulling himself up, and breathing more rapidly by the minute, Ryan crawled onto the ledge with Éclair’s help and sat next to her. They just stared at each for a few minutes, panting from both exhaustion and fright from their ordeal.

Then Éclair did the strangest thing in the world. She hugged him tightly and started sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. It felt a little uncomfortable for Ryan, to say the least. The only thing he could think to do was put his arms around her and lightly pat her on the back, as if that would help. After what seemed to be hours of endless tears, Éclair finally came to her senses and broke the contact. It couldn’t have happened at a better time since Ryan was on the verge of turning purple again. Éclair put on a professional visage and addressed Ryan in a business-like manner with her hands folded on her knees. She acted as if the whole crying thing had never happened.

“Thank you, Ryan Uruks. Your valiant effort of coming to my rescue is most appreciated.”

Ryan shrugged. “Ahh! It was nothing. Besides, you saved me too, so I guess that makes us even.”

Éclair’s face suddenly dropped slightly in guilt. “If I had only listened to you in the first place, none of this would have happened. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

Ryan sighed and said, “No, if I hadn’t tricked you like that, you wouldn’t have run off mad. I’m sorry … it was all my fault. I guess I really am a baboon.”

Despite everything, Éclair couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s ‘buffoon’, silly.”

This time, there was no stopping it. Ryan’s face started turning purple in a very non-human fashion.

Éclair’s mouth dropped in surprise. “Are you turning purple?”

Blast! All my efforts to hide it dashed in a single stroke of embarrassment!

“Ah! G-girls are weird,” stuttered Ryan bashfully.

Éclair then did another strange thing. She started laughing uncontrollably; hysterically even. And for reasons beyond his comprehension, Ryan joined in. Together, the two of them had a good old time, laughing while sitting on a bed of bouncy grass on the edge of a cliff.

---

Éclair explained that the strange bouncy grass that they had fallen in was actually called Limferes, an exceedingly rare plant according to her. Ryan then remembered his father saying a word like that as he talked about a cliff he almost fell off while hiking in the woods. That must’ve been the reason Ryan had remembered the secret ledge from his childhood. If the grass hadn’t been there, Éclair might’ve hurt herself on the hard rock. Instead, she just kind of bounced lightly in place.

The children followed the cave with bouncy grass to its end, and miraculously it led to a small opening that brought them right back to the top of the cliff. It made them so happy that they started bouncing up and down on the bouncy grass yet again. Though careful not to hop off the cliff, the bouncy grass served as a trampoline as the children gave in to the need for fun.

Night had descended when they finally made it back to the colony. They didn’t say much. The day’s events were just too draining. As they finally caught sight of the colony, a lump formed in Ryan’s throat. Éclair would have to go back to her ship and leave for who knew where. He might never see her again.

Despite the short time they had spent together, Ryan felt connected to Éclair more than any other person he knew. Just the thought of her leaving made him want to cry. What hurt even worse was that she probably didn’t want anything to do with him after what happened. The whole thing was his fault after all. He had almost gotten both of them killed. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she slapped him in the face before she went home. The moon gave a little light that seemed to reflect in her gorgeous silver hair. Despite everything that he’d put her through, he hoped that she’d still think of him as a friend.

Éclair turned toward him, but he couldn’t face her. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”

Ryan wanted to break down and cry right then, but not wanting to embarrass himself, he simply said, “I guess so.”

Éclair turned to leave, but then she suddenly stopped and spun around intensely. “You know, I’m probably going to be in more trouble than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Ryan lost all hope of them being friends as he hung his head in utter despair.

“But I think it was worth it,” Éclair said sincerely.

Ryan slowly raised his head. “Really?”

Éclair beamed at him, “Of course! It was my first real adventure. The first of many to come, I hope. Spending time with you has taught me something of myself. You’ve taught me to be more confident and bolder with my dreams. Thanks to you, I’m going to tell my mother something she doesn’t want to hear. I’m going to pursue my dreams as an Elemental. Even if I don’t awaken my powers, I still won’t give up. I won’t stop fighting until there is not a breath left in me. You taught me that, Ryan Uruks, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Ryan grinned sheepishly and said, “It was nothing.”

Éclair surprised Ryan as she took a step closer until they were almost nose to nose. She spoke in a soft voice that was barely above a whisper, “Before I go, there’s something I want to give you as a token for rescuing me.”

“What is it?” asked Ryan excitedly, always eager for presents.

Éclair put her hands behind her back nervously as she leaned even closer and whispered, “It’s something very special, and it must be kept secret. It’s so secret that you have to close your eyes. Quickly now!”

Ryan obediently closed his eyes and held out his hand. But Éclair didn’t put anything in his hand. Instead, she gently held his hand in her own. And then he felt something soft and wet touch his cheek. It took him a few seconds to realize that she had just kissed him. He opened his eyes in astonishment and started turning the deepest shade of purple of his life.

Éclair beamed proudly at him before saying, “It would be better if you didn’t come with me to see my godfather. He’ll be furious enough as it is, and it would only make things worse if I come back with a boy. He might get the wrong idea if you know what I mean?”

Ryan shook his head in confusion. “No, I don’t.”

Éclair cocked her head in thought for a moment or two. “Actually, neither do I. None of the grownups will tell me when I ask what they mean when they say things like that, so it must be pretty bad.” They both nodded contemplatively as this deep, philosophical matter was settled, for now.

And so, Éclair Hamashe gave a graceful curtsy and said, “Fare thee well, noble Ryan Uruks; brave warrior and future Elemental.”

Ryan bowed in a mock show of propriety that made Éclair giggle. And then he said in the silliest accent he could manage, “And to you, fair maiden, safe journeys.” Then Ryan’s voice became solemn as he raised his head and said, “May we meet again when we have both achieved our dreams.”

Éclair nodded her agreement and turned to leave once again, but she couldn’t help but get in one last word. “My godfather will be delighted when he hears that I’ve already met the man I’m going to marry when I grow up.”

Ryan quickly turned his head to hide his embarrassment as he waved a dismissive hand. “Ahh! Girls are weird!”

Chapter 5: We Thought He Got You

If you remember nothing else, then remember this. Always treasure your time with your loved ones with wild abandonment, If not for their sakes, then for your own. You never know how precious such a thing is until you’ve lost it.

Ryan watched Éclair as she made her way to her vessel and met with a kindly-looking old man in silver armor and white robes. The old man in silver armor ran to Éclair, scooped her up in his arms and embraced her. Ryan didn’t even sense any frustration or judgement in the old man’s demeanor, just benevolent concern. Ryan expected the man to scold her, but he never did. It was as if the man had known all along what Éclair had just been through, and he reasoned that her ordeal was punishment enough.

Oh, what am I thinking, that’s just silly. Even Elementals don’t know everything, right?

Ryan was still puzzling over the exchange as the man led Éclair to the ship’s ramp followed closely by an entourage of guards. Éclair looked happy to be with the man that Ryan could only guess was her godfather. More than happy, she seemed ecstatic. For some reason, the two of them complemented each other, like twin stars shining so bright, everything seemed dark in comparison. Ryan wondered if Éclair had been wrong about the man not being her real father. But then again, with his large, white beard, the old geezer looked far too ancient to have sired a daughter so young. And yet at the same time, his agile movements made him seem ageless, as if time had no hold on him.

Ryan awakened from his contemplations as the ship’s engines roared to life, and he realized with a growing sense of depression that this would be the last time he would see Éclair. He watched the back of her silver head as she stepped across the threshold to the vessel on the verge of takeoff. She turned right to the bush where he hid and waved at him with a smile. He waved back at her as a tear rolled down his cheek. And then the portal closed. The vessel vanished into the sky just as quickly as it had come. She was gone.

That was a preview of Volume I of Legacy: The Ministry of Fire, Part 1. To read the rest purchase the book.

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